The Art of Reading Poetry

Harold Bloom's love for the genius of the English language is a constant source of inspiration to me. His selections in this book are most informative,a must for any English teacher,especially for primary schools as these are often overlooked when thinking of English Literature. I thoroughly recommend this book

Harold Bloom has an enormous love and an immense knowledge of poetry. His interpretative works show not only his tremendous knowledge but his great creative power in thought. This present small volume which is the introduction to a volume published last year the anthology 'The Best Poems of the English Language' I found a bit disappointing. Bloom opens by talking about poetry as figurative language, and then following Kenneth Burke in talking of the tropes which make up figurative language, irony, synecdoche, metonymy, and metaphor. And with this he sets the tone for an essay which is more an eclectic mishmash than it is an insightful look into the heart of reading poetry. He goes on to talk about the importance of allusion in poetry, once again working with his most famous thesis of new poets rivalry with, and their need to overcome their predecessors. He talks about the poetry of thought in Shakespeare, and gives nine poetic passages which illustrate the quality of ' poetic voice'. Toward the end of the volume he makes the general statement that poetry is essentially about expanding the consciousness. I did not find all of this particularly useful in helping me understand how to better read poetry. It seems to me that if Bloom had been true to the title of the work he should have done in this small volume a lot more close reading. And he should have done this about poems which are relatively ' easy' and ' well- known'. And he should too have said something about certain practical steps( for example the importance of memorizing poetry in order to truly make it one's own. The experience of 'knowing and reciting poetry' enhances the art of reading as Bloom himself the memorizer of volumes of poetry well knows). It seems to me too that in this volume Bloom technically straitjackets ' poetry'. Consider for instance the difference between reading the poetry of the Psalms, and reading the poetry of Shakespeare. Consider the difference between reading the poetry of Wordsworth and reading the poetry of Emily Dickinson. There are not simply enormous differences in the content, message, meaning of the poetry but enormous differences in the means of expression and their intent. To read a poet is to somehow feel inside another world. Reading poetry requires above all a kind of emotional empathy that Bloom does not talk about at all. Poetry is after all the deepest way we have of expressing feelings with words. Bloom somehow in this particular work is not interested in that dimension. I also think that Bloom erred in not thinking at all about the way 'poetry ' is ' food for the soul'. I have just been reading Akhmatova and considering the way she was a ' voice for the suffering Russian people' a source of consolation and hope to so many . Poetry I want to say gives a kind of sustenance to mind, heart, and soul. And it is a gift many readers do not know how to appreciate and enjoy, even intelligent readers. I do not believe that this particular work will